Capital Equipment News January-February 2024

CONSTRUCTION NEWS

Introducing a new trio of excavators

DEVELON, formerly Doosan Construction Equipment, will showcase three excavators at World of Concrete in Las Vegas. At the exhibition, the DX42-7 mini excavator, DX225LC-7X crawler excavator and DX140W-7 wheeled excavator will be on display. DEVELON staff will be available to help visitors explore each machine’s features. “DEVELON is excited to exhibit at World of Concrete, especially as the event celebrates 50 years in 2024,” says Jacob Sherman, Product and Dealer Marketing Manager at DEVELON. “This trade show gives us a chance to promote our new brand and innovative products that help customers take on their biggest job site challenges.” Highlighting the show is the conven tional tail swing Develon DX42-7 mini-ex cavator is ideally suited for navigating tight, congested job sites and urban areas. Part of the next-generation DX-7 Series mini-excavator line-up, the DX42-7 offers such impressive features as fast cycle times, efficient torque-limiting pis ton pumps that respond to load demands, and a larger counterweight for improved balance and durability. The machine comes equipped with a standard thumb ready arm. Infrastructure (DPWI) Minister, Sihle Zikalala, says public facilitation is the key to fighting criminality of site invasions and extortion that has crippled projects in construction. This requires involving local communities in co-creating infrastructure combined with fair, meaningful subcontracting on construction projects to mobilise communities in protecting projects, securing infrastructure, and isolating criminal elements involved in project invasions. The Minister was addressing members of the National Stakeholder Forum (NSF) at the Hilton Hotel in Sandton, Johan nesburg on 12 December last year, where challenges limiting the construction in dustry’s capacity to deliver infrastructure, stimulate economic growth, and create a better environment for the survival of businesses were discussed. Infrastructure underpins the country’s economic growth and development, the Minister said, and the industry there fore needs to address the blockages for accelerated infrastructure delivery and for

The Develon DX140W-7 wheeled excavator.

The DX225LC-7X, the other excavator on display, is the first electronically con trolled crawler excavator from DEVELON. The system enables advanced machine guidance and machine control systems — including 2D grading for accurate earthmoving and grading work. The DX 225LC-7X offers superior hydraulics and a strong workgroup to deliver ample power and durability to the arm and bucket, maximizing lifting capability. Designed for demanding tasks, the

DX140W-7 wheeled excavator delivers powerful digging and manoeuvrability when working on bridges and roadways or in urban areas. The wheeled excavator rounds out the excavators on display. The machine has a balance of power and fuel efficiency, along with best-in-class comfort features, intelligent controls and smart machine functionality. It can be configured with a front dozer blade and independent rear outriggers or four independent outriggers. b

Social facilitation can lead the fight against construction site invasions The Department of Public Works and projects to hit the ground Chief Executive Officer of the Con

struction Industry Development Board (cidb), Bongani Dladla says that this is an important. “A topic like this is quite important to us and moving it beyond discussions and seminars but getting it to designing solutions through our commit ment to partnerships with all role players. We look forward under the leadership of DPWI to an NSF that is solution-driven and answers key solutions on how we can improve the delivery of infrastructure in a transformative manner that ensures inclusive growth of the industry.” The NSF was established to advise the Minister of Public Works and Infrastruc ture and the cidb on matters affecting the development of the construction industry, including policy and regulatory constraints. Construction industry bodies, infrastruc ture clients, contractors, built environment professionals, academics, and people with skills, expertise, and experience in the industry are represented on the forum. Poor practices, policy and regulatory

Chief Executive Officer of the Construction Industry Development Board (cidb), Bongani Dladla.

challenges in the construction procure ment environment, enterprise devel opment, and professionalisation of the construction industry are among key development blockages that will form the focus of the NSF during its two-year tenure which began in October 2023. The cidb is a statutory body established under the executive authority of the DPWI. It was established by the Construction In dustry Development Board Act 38 of 2000 to regulate and develop the construction industry through strategic interventions and partnerships. b

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